Fuel distributing apparatus



Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to fuel distributing apparatus, and particularly to fuel distributing apparatus for use with a stoker which delivers fuel to an opening in a wall of a firebox.

In such a stoker, it is the usual practice to provide a conduit having a forwardly extending branch or mouth portion in communication with or enclosing the firing opening in the firebox wall. It is also customary to provide a distributor head at the bottom of the mouth portion, and to arrange a distributor plate in the firing opening and forwardly of the distributor head to provide a surface over which the fuel is discharged into the firebox by blasts of pressure fluid from the distributor head. The maximum width of the distributor plate is limited by the width of the firing opening.

When using distributing apparatus having a single distributing surface or just one plate, the fuel discharged to the rear corners of the firebed is projected over the side portions of the distributor plate, and the fuel discharged to the other parts of the firebed is projected over the remaining portion of the plate. Therefore, the minimum width of the distributor plate should not be less than that sufiicient to enable the distributing apparatus to properly and efficiently function to evenly distribute fuel over the entire firebed.

In an application of a stoker having distributing apparatus with a single distributor plate to a locomotive not previously equipped with a stoker, it is the custom to provide a firing opening in the locomotive backhead of increased width and height in place of the conventional ovalshaped opening. This is done so that a distributor plate of proper width can be arranged in the firing opening, and so there is enough firing opening space after the stoker is installed to fire the locomotive by hand. If the conventional ovalshaped firing opening was not enlarged and a single distributor plate of proper width was positioned therein, it would be necessary to position such plate in the horizontal central plane of such opening, where the latter is of the greatest width. There would then be insufficient firing opening space remaining to easily and conveniently hand fire the locomotive. In actual practice, the ovalshaped firing opening, which is 20 inches wide and 16 inches high, is generally considered too small for stoker application thereto for the foregoing reasons, and the locomotive backhead is therefore provided with what in the art is termed a patch so as to form a firing opening approximately 25 inches in width and height. A patch is a boiler plate section having a larger firing opening therein. The provision of the patch increases the cost of the stoker application to existing locomotives as much as several hundred dollars, compared to the cost of a stoker application to new locomotives, the latter being 5 built with a firing opening of the greater dimensions.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide new and improved fuel distributing apparatus that can be applied to a firing opening re- 10 gardless of whether or not the opening is comparatively narrow in width.

Another object is the provision in a firing opening of a plurality of relatively narrow distributor plate sections which have a combined Width suf- 15 ficient to enable the apparatus to properly and efficiently function to evenly distribute fuel over the entire firebed.

Another object of the invention is to provide fuel distributing apparatus that can easily be applied to the conventional oval-shaped locomotive firing opening without altering the size or shape of the opening. Another object is to construct such apparatus so that an application thereof to such an opening will leave sufficient firing opening space to readily and conveniently fire the locomotive by hand. Still another object is to eliminate the time, trouble and expense required in altering a locomotive backhead and providing a patch.

A further object of this invention is to discharge or project fuel from one elevation to the rear portion of a firebed, and project fuel from a higher elevation to the front portion of the firebed. Another object is to discharge fuel from one point to the rear corners of a firebed, and project fuel from a plurality of points at a higher elevation to the front portion of the firebed. Another object is the provision of distributing apparatus which projects fuel from one point to the rear corners of a firebed, and discharges fuel from points at the sides of the first-named point to the other portions of the firebed.

Still another object is to provide fuel distributing apparatus having a comparatively narrow distributor plate section or bottom extending through a firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of similar plate sections or distributor shelves disposed above the distributor bottom and arranged so that each shelf lies adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, and means for projecting separate streams of fuel over the distributor bottom and shelves.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention and novel detail features will appear from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the delivery or discharge end of a stoker and a portion of the backhead of a locomotive firebox, showing the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through the firing opening on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 and illustrates the manner of supporting the fuel distributing apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and has a part of the stoker conduit broken away.

Referring to the figures of drawing, the numeral l designates a locomotive firebox backhead or back wall having a conventional oval-shaped firing opening I l therein. The lower marginal edge or wall of the firing opening is shown at l2, and the side marginal edges thereof at H! and Ba. While the invention is herein illustrated as applied to a locomotive firebox, it is to be understood that its application is not limited thereto, as it can equally as well be used with other classes of fireboxes.

A stoker conduit 14 extends upwardly along the backhead Ill, exteriorly of the firebox, and at its upper end communicates with and encloses or encircles the firing opening I l. The discharge or delivery end of conduit I4 is provided with a forwardly extending branch or mouth portion l5 which is defined by a top wall IS, an irregular bottom wall I! and side walls 18 and l8a. The bottom wall H has a central channel l9 and side raised portions and 20a.

Extending forwardly from a point immediately beneath channel I9 is a distributor bottom 2|. The distributor bottom is arranged centrally of the mouth portion [5 and the firing opening II, and extends through the firing opening closely adjacent the lower marginal edge l2 thereof. It is hinged at its rear end on a transverse shaft 22 supported by side walls l8 and [8a. A distributor head 23 is formed with the distributor bottom 2|. The head 2-3 is provided with chambers 24, and jet holes 25 in the front wall of the head communicate with the chambers. Pipe lines 26 (Fig. 3) serve to deliver fiuid under pressure to chambers 24 from any preferred source. An abutment 21 on the distributor bottom is formed so as to intercept fuel discharged by the pressure fluid blast from jet holes 25, and direct the fuel toward the rear corners of the firebox. The distributor bottom 2! is inclined slightly in a downward and forward direction, and it can be adjusted a slight degree about the axis of transverse shaft 22 by means of a screw 28.

Distributor shelves 29 and 29a extend forwardly from points immediately beneath side raised portions 26 and 20a, respectively. Each shelf is arranged at one side of the mouth portion l5 and the firing opening H. Shelves 29 and 23a extend through the firing opening closely adjacent opposite side marginal edges I3 and Ba thereof. They are also hinged at their rear ends on transverse shafts Bil, 3901. supported by side walls l8 and 8a, respectively. A distributor head 3!, 3m is formed with each of the shelves. Each of these heads 3!, am is provided with a chamber 36 (Fig. 4), and jet holes 32 and 32a in the front walls of these heads communicate, respectively, with the chamber in each of heads 3i and 3 la. A pipe line 33 (Fig. 4) extending through an aperture in each of side walls is and HM serves to deliver fluid under pressure to te chamber in each distributor head 3!, Bid. An abutment 34 (Fig. 4) on shelf 29 intercepts some of the fuel discharged by the pressure fluid blast from jet holes 32 and directs it toward one front corner of the firebox, and a similar abutment 3411 on shelf 29a intercepts a portion of the fuel projected by the blast from jet holes 32c and directs it toward the other front corner of the firebox. Each shelf can be inclined slightly in an upward and forward direction, and can be adjusted a slight degree about the axis of its transverse shaft by loosening a bolt 35, changing the position of the shelf and then tightening the bolt. Bolts 35 extend through the side walls of stoker conduit I4, and the shelves 29 and 2911 are therefore carried entirely by the side walls I3 and i812, respectively.

Each distributor shelf is arranged above and at one side of the distributor bottom 2!, and the top surfaces of the shelves are preferably disposed in a common plane below the horizontal central plane of the firing opening H. The front end of distributor bottom 25 extends forward of the 1 front edges of shelves 29 and Zea, and the inner side edge of each shelf overlaps the distributor bottom. The shelves are spaced laterally from The distributor shelves other, and the vertical distance between the front H end of the distributor bottom 2! and each shelf the bottom of the stoker conduit, such as a helical 5 screw (not shown). The fuel used is preferably coal that, previous to its delivery to the distributing apparatus, has been crushed so the larger lumps do not have dimensions in excess of approximately 4 inches. ter and the particles will readily separate from one another. When the single flowing stream of fuel passes over the irregular bottom wall I! of the mouth portion and onto the distributor bottom 2| and shelves 29 and 29a, it is segregated-.

into three advancing smaller streams. The central smaller stream passes or falls from the channel 19 tothe distributor bottom 2!, and the side smaller streams fall from points over the side raised portions 26 and 29a, to shelves 29 and 29a,=

respectively. The side streams are therefore delivered to the same elevation, and the central stream is delivered to a lower elevation between the two side streams. Substantially uniform pressure fiuid blasts from jet holes 32 and 32a. project the fuel delivered to shelves 39 and 29a, respectively, in aerial paths to the front portion of the firebox over the top surfaces of the shelves. A fluid blast of lower pressure from jet holes 25 discharges the fuel delivered to the distributor bottom 2| in aerial paths to the rear portion of the firebox over the top surface of the distributor bottom. The fuel discharged to the rear corners of the firebox is therefore projected from a single area, and the fuel discharged to the front of the Coal is of a loose characfirebox is projected from two spaced areas in the same elevation, each of the latter areas being at one side of and at a higher elevation than the first-mentioned area. This is contrary to general practice, but the separate streams of fuel to the different parts of the firebox do not interfere with one another because they are discharged from different elevations, and because of the difference in the intensity of the pressure fluid blasts at the higher and lower elevations. The fuel traveling to the front of the firebox passes or crosses over the fuel traveling to the rear of the firebox at the moment the fuel leaves the distributing apparatus or immediately thereafter.

The abutment 21 directs part of the fuel projected over the distributor bottom 2| toward both sides of the firebox, and each of abutments 34 and 34a directs part of the fuel projected over shelves 29 and 29a, respectively, toward one side only of the firebox. Since the front ends of the shelves terminate rearward of the front edge of the distributor bottom, and because there is a greater vertical distance between the front ends of the distributor bottom and each shelf than there is at their rearward ends, the distributor shelves cannot interfere with or cause clogging of the fuel discharged over the distributor bottom.

Since the distributor bottom and shelves have a combined width sufficient to enable distribution of the fuel over the entire firebed, and because the distributor bottom is out of horizontal alignment with the shelves, the fuel distributing apparatus can be applied to a firing opening of comparatively narrow width. It can also be applied to the conventional oval-shaped locomotive firing opening without altering the locomotive backhead, and still leave sufficient firing opening space above the apparatus to fire the locomotive by hand.

I claim:

1. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member for delivering fuel to said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, means for projecting fuel over said bottom, a pair of distributor shelves spaced above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, and separate means for projecting fuel over said shelves.

2. In combination with at firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member for delivering fuel to said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, said bottom being provided with means for intercepting projected fuel and arranged whereby fuel projected thereover is directed to the rear side portions of the firebox, a pair of spaced distributor shelves disposed above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening and being arranged whereby fuel can be projected thereover to the front portion of the firebox, and means for projecting separate streams of fuel over said bottom and said shelves.

3. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member for delivering fuel to said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves spaced above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, the front ends of said shelves terminating rearward of the front edge of said bottom and the inner side edges of said shelves overlapping said bottom, and means for projecting separate streams of fuel over said bottom and said shelves.

4. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member for delivering fuel to said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves disposed above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, the top surfaces of said shelves being arranged in the same plane and said shelves being spaced from each other whereby fuel can pass between them to said bottom, and means for projecting separate streams of fuel over said bottom and said shelves.

5. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, a stoker conduit member communicating with said firing opening and having a mouth portion provided with a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a central channel and side raised portions, a fuel directing distributor bottom extending from immediately beneath said channel through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge of the latter, a pair of distributor shelves disposed above said bottom, each of said shelves extending forwardly from immediately beneath the respective side raised portion of said bottom wall and lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, and means for projecting separate streams of fuel over said bottom and said shelves.

6. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member in communication with said firing opening, fuel dis-.-

tributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves spaced above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening and being hinged on transverse axes exterior of the firebox, means for adjusting each of said shelves about its transverse axis, and separate means for projecting fuel over said bottom and said shelves.

7. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member in communication with said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves spaced above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, means for varying the vertical distance between the forward ends of said bottom and one of said shelves, and separate means for projecting fuel over said bottom and said shelves.

8. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member in communication with said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves disposed above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, means on each of said bottom and said shelves for intercepting projected fuel, the intercepting means on said bottom arranged to direct fuel "toward cating with said firing opening and having side walls, a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves spaced above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening and supported entirely from a side wall of the stoker conduit member, and separate means for projecting fuel over said bottom and said shelves.

10. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member in communication with said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves disposed above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, a distributor head on the rear end of each of said shelves having jet holes arranged to emit blasts of pressure fluid, and means at the rear end of said bottom for projecting fuel thereover.

11. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, astoker conduitmember for delivering fuel to said firing opening having a mouth portion provided with a bottom Wall, a fuel directing distributor bottom extending through the firing opening adjacent the lower marginal edge thereof, a pair of distributor shelves disposed above said bottom, each of said shelves lying adjacent opposite side marginal edges of the firing opening, and means for projecting fuel over said bottom and said shelves, said means underlying said bottom wall of the mouth portion to protect the former from abrasion by the delivered fuel.

12. In a stoker provided with a conduit member having a mouth portion, an approximately horizontal fuel directing distributor element arranged medially below said mouth portion and extending forwardly therefrom, a plurality of approximately horizontal fuel supporting distributor elements spaced above said first-named 5 element, one of said second-named elements being disposed at each side of said first-named element, and separate means for projecting fuel over said elements.

13. In combination with a firebox having a l0 firing opening, and a conduit member for delivering fuel to said firing opening, fuel distributing apparatus comprising an approximately horizontal fuel directing distributor element arranged medially in said firing opening, a plurality of- 15 approximately horizontal fuel supporting distributor elements spaced above said first-named element, one of said second-named elements being disposed at each side of said first-named element, and separate means for projecting fuelnzo over said elements.

14. In a stoker provided with a conduit mem ber having a mouth portion, an approximately horizontal fuel directing distributor element arranged medially below said mouth portion and,7,25 extending forwardly therefrom, a plurality of approximately horizontal fuel supporting distributor elements spaced above said first-named element, one of said second-named elements being disposed at each side of said first-named element, and means rearward of said elements for projecting fuel thereover.

15. In combination with a firebox having a firing opening, and a conduit member for delivering fuel to said firing opening, fuel dis-,-- tributing apparatus comprising an approximately horizontal fuel directing distributor element arranged medially in said fiing opening, a plu rality of approximately horizontal fuel supporting distributor elements spaced above said first- Hm named element, one of said second-named elements being disposed at each side of said firstnamed element, and means rearward of said elements for projecting fuel thereover.

HENRY LIPPERT. 

